Travel Day 35 to Ludington, MI 8/7/21

Michigan is known as having the most lighthouses in the states. We have passed many so far.

The Coast Guard Station and Maritime Museum.

Teach a man to fish so he is never hungry.

The ride was long but we had a following sea for the most part. It was an 11 hour day. Pulling in to Ludington changed all the conditions. It was calm and peaceful with boats running all around. We stopped for fuel and a pump out and the dock hands could not have been nicer. It was like a pit crew on a NASCAR race. They each took a nozzle and filled the two tanks and another took to the pump out hose. Once we got to the dock the harbormaster helped with the lines. We were on B dock and the seasonal slip boaters couldn't have been nicer. They were the friendliest in all the marinas we have been to so far. We met Rose and David who are gold loopers and Harbor Host for the area. They were kind enough to lend us their car for a provisioning trip. Also on the dock was TheGood Life, Bridget and Craig Aho who are just starting their loop.

In the adjacent marina was "JADIP" Just Another Day in Paradise. Steven and Carol Churchill are on a Great Harbour N37. We were able to get together with them and do a mini-looper crawl. We ended up having docktails on Cashelmara during yet another rainstorm. The following morning we went over to look at the e-bike they had for sale. Hal has an e-bike but mine was not. After trying it out I now own an e-bike. Now to sell my foldable bike. We are still trying to sell the tender. 😔

The Badger is a large steam ferry that is run by coal and travels across Lake Michigan from Ludington to Wisconsin each day. The trip is five hours each way. It leaves at 9:00 am and returns at 7:00 pm. When it comes in they lower the anchor and spin around on it. The smoke from the coal is constant so occasionally the boats get covered in soot depending upon which way the wind is blowing.